Tuesday, September 21, 2010

It's gotten so bad, the LA Times' Helene Elliott has to write puff piece valentines on players from division rivals to the Dodgers. Sigh.

If David Eckstein is right, if players like him are an endangered species because computer-generated calculations can't quantify the value of hustling and the little things he does so well, baseball will be the poorer for it.

If there's no room for someone like the San Diego Padres' second baseman, the ultimate little guy with a big heart and a winning influence on every team whose dirt-stained uniform he has worn, the sport will lose a piece of its soul.

"The style of game I play is definitely well against all the new-age baseball guys. A place in this game is not going to be very long for me, the way I play, because it's not what everyone that's getting power would want to see," he said.

"They want to see the numbers. They want to see stuff that translates on paper. I don't translate to paper."

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comments:

Oh puh-leaze. We're not in the steroid era anymore. Home runs are down (at least by cursory glance). Without knowing how good his defense is, he has a career OPS+ of 87 (and a solid career .346 OBP). Below average, but good enough to be a major leaguer.